Decks, Patios, Porches and Docks - tile and concrete

I want to put tile (slate tile) down on a concrete patio. It is painted now and has 4 slabs with expansion joints. Do I need to remove the paint and how do I address the joints. Do I tile over them or tile each slab individualy. Thanks in advance.

Moxie3k

Welcome to the forums! Others may advise differently on the paint, but I would remove it. As far as the expansion joints are concerned, use them as your starting points for each quadrant. They will expand and contract, that is guaranteed. Make your joint line with your tile coincide with the concrete joints or whatever you put on top of the joint will crack, and that is guaranteed, too.

Bead blast the paint off! It is a for sure bond breaker. If there are any cracks in the quadrants, it is advised to use a crack isolation membrane. Do not cover over the needed expansion. You will need to honor them in the tile installation, and fill them with a foam backer rod, shy of the surface, and fill the rest with a silicone color matching sanded caulk, to match your grout, which can be found from your grout manufacturer.